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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hand — help
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chest — a box
  12. lean — thin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chest — of your body
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ground — a position
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com